Around the Nation (April 20): Agency on trout restocking mission in Great Lakes

Associated PressPublished: April 21, 2013 4:00AM

Associated Press

FISHING

Agency on trout restocking mission in Great Lakes

SANDUSKY -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun a six-week mission to restock trout in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

The agency says 200,000 trout yearlings will be released into the lakes through late May.

The restocking began last week in Lake Erie off Sandusky and Fairport Harbor then headed to stops off Erie, Pa., and Dunkirk, N.Y.

The Lake Ontario restocking will follow in mid-May.

The yearlings are the first raised in the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery in Warren, Pa., since an incurable fish virus was detected there in 2005.

The hatchery was decontaminated and received trout brood stock and eggs from other hatcheries.

BASEBALL

Ortiz returns from eight-month layoff

BOSTON -- David Ortiz is set to make his return for the Boston Red Sox following an eight-month layoff.

Ortiz was in the batting order to hit cleanup and was the designated hitter in Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals.

He finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The 37-year-old was activated from the disabled list Friday. Ortiz injured his right Achilles tendon running the bases on July 17 and appeared just once in Boston's final 72 games, going 2-for-3 against the Royals on Aug. 24.

Ortiz was bothered by inflammation in both heels during spring training, and he went 4-for-18 (.222) with a home run during a six-game injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket from April 11-18.

White Sox put Viciedo on DL; recall Tekotte

CHICAGO -- Outfielder Dayan Viciedo has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Chicago White Sox because of a strained left oblique.

Viciedo was injured while batting in the eighth inning at Toronto on Thursday, and the roster move was made retroactive to Friday. He is batting .229 (11-for-48) with two homers and five RBI in 13 games.

Outfielder Blake Tekotte was recalled Saturday from Triple-A Charlotte. where he began the season on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He was 0-for-2 Friday against Gwinnett in his season debut.

Injured Rockies pitcher Chacin to have MRI

DENVER -- Rockies pitcher Jhoulys Chacin was scheduled to undergo an MRI to try to determine the severity of a back injury that brought an abrupt end to an impressive outing Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Team officials initially believed that Chacin, who allowed no runs on three hits in 61⁄3 innings to pick up the win in Colorado's 3-1 victory, strained his left oblique while throwing his 100th pitch of the game.

After a reevaluation, the Rockies head athletic trainer, Keith Dugger, said Saturday that the injury may be centered in the back.

Chacin will have the scan on Monday.

FOOTBALL

Thousands at tribute for Pat Summerall

PLANO, Texas -- Thousands of mourners have gathered in a suburban Dallas church to pay tribute to veteran sportscaster Pat Summerall.

Saturday's memorial service was being held at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

The NFL player-turned-announcer died Tuesday at age 82 of cardiac arrest at a Dallas hospital.

The former NFL kicker called 16 Super Bowls and was the primary television play-by-play voice of the NFL.

He also was the leading voice of the Masters and the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

One of the most dominating players in the history of women's college basketball, Griner was selected by the Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick in Monday's WNBA Draft.

The 6-foot-8 center brings with her a cache of talents, including scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and, most famously, dunking with ease.

Griner comes to the desert with the benefit of not having to carry a team as the No. 1 pick, joining a team that includes former league MVP Diana Taurasi and All-Stars Penny Taylor and Candice Dupree.

Heat back in playoff mode, set for Bucks

MIAMI -- Some teams played six preseason games this season, others logging seven or eight.

A case could be made that the Miami Heat played 90.

Eight preseason outings, then 82 regular-season contests, it's all seems relatively meaningless now to the Heat -- who, from the moment last season ended, have been fixated on just one thing, that being this year's playoffs.

For them, Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday may as well be Game 1 of their season, since to the Heat, this is all that matters.

Miami finished with the NBA's best mark, winning a franchise-record 66 games. The Bucks went 1-3 against the Heat, though Milwaukee guard Brandon Jennings says his team will oust the reigning champions in six games.

Playoffs bring Harden back to Oklahoma City

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Beard is back.

After getting traded to Houston at the end of training camp, James Harden had a feeling he might be meeting up with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates when the NBA playoffs rolled around.

Sure enough, his Rockets will open the postseason Sunday night at Oklahoma City.

Harden spent his first few years in the league building friendships with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and others on the Thunder but says "it's all business now."

Lakers-Spurs kick off series minus Bryant

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs won't be facing Kobe Bryant when they begin the playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It's their 12th postseason series, but familiar foe Bryant is absent after tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12. The Spurs host the Lakers on Sunday at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio has its own injury concerns. The Spurs enter the playoffs having lost three straight and seven of 10 while Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have dealt with leg injuries.